


coming home, redux

by felicities



Category: Actor RPF, Broadway RPF, Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman, Wicked RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2018-09-08 04:18:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8830213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/felicities/pseuds/felicities
Summary: In a perfect world, in another time, this is what Kristin Chenoweth's Coming Home (2014) repertoire would look like.





	1. till there was you

**2014\. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.**

  

"This next song is from a little musical called _The Music Man_ , by Meredith Willson. I did a TV movie of it in 2003 with my good friend Matthew Broderick, 'bout the same time I was gettin' ready to open another little musical on Broadway—I don't know if y'all have heard about it? _Wicked_?"

 

She pauses for laughter and applause, and winks at someone in the audience. When the laughter dies down, she continues.

 

"But anyway, I have always loved this musical growing up, always loved its music, but most especially and most importantly, this song, and it came back into my life at a time when I had felt it the most."

 

Her voice is thick with emotion, her eyes flutter shut, and she takes a breath to collect herself. When she opens her eyes, her gaze lands on a dark-haired woman sitting in the front row, right next to her mother.

 

"This is for you, Dee. I love you."

 

The music begins and the camera pans to Idina, sitting in the front row in between Junie and Florence. Idina's hand is on her heart, the expression on her face dreamy and soft. She mouths an ‘ _I love you’_ back, and a hand comes up to wipe a tear that fell from her eye.

 

Back on stage, Kristin starts:

 

" _There were bells..._ "

  

—

**2003\. San Francisco, California.**

  

"Sing me a song," Idina says. They are in Kristin's hotel room, getting ready to settle in for the night. They had just finished the first day of tech at the Curran, and the day's activities had completely drained both of them. Idina rests her head on Kristin's lap, looking up at her.

  

"Hm?"

 

"Sing to me."

  

"My angel of music?"

 

"Funny. Come on, Kris.”

  

A few seconds of silence stretches between them as Kristin ponders what song to choose, while lazily running her fingers through Idina's hair. And then: " _There were bells on the hill, b_ _ut I never heard them ringing_..."

  

Idina's eyes flutter shut.

  

" _No, I never heard them at all, t_ _ill there was you_."

  

"I love this song."

 

Kristin doesn't say anything; she simply smiles to herself and continues singing. " _T_ _here were birds in the sky but I never saw them winging. No, I never saw them at all ti_ _ll there was you_."

 

Idina languidly runs her hands up and down the length of Kristin’s arm, settling on the back of Kristin's hand.

  

" _And there was music_ ," Idina joins in, humming, her voice a little rough, " _and there were wonderful roses. They tell me in sweet, fragrant meadows of dawn_ —"

  

"That's you," Idina interrupts, making Kristin giggle. 

 

" _And dew_ ," Kristin's crystal soprano continues to cut through their hotel room, mixing with Idina's low, throaty tone, both voices gaining quiet strength as they gear up for the big finish: " _T_ _here was love all around b_ _ut I never heard it singing. N_ _o, I never heard it at all—_ "

 

Idina stops humming.

  

" _Till there was you_ ," Kristin finishes softly.

 

“Dee?”

 

No reply.

 

“Idina.”

 

Idina’s fallen asleep, fingers loosely intertwined with Kristin’s, a smile on her face.

 

Kristin kisses the top of Idina’s head. “I love you, Idina Menzel.”


	2. something good

**2014\. The Today Show.**

  

“There’s a song I do, called ‘Till There Was You,’ from _The Music Man_ —”

  

“The song by The Beatles?"

  

“Yes, yes, the song they covered. So I did that musical, it was a TV movie in 2002, the same time we were developing _Wicked_ , Idina and me—”

 

“Your lovely wife, Idina Menzel.”

 

“Yes,” Kristin’s smile grows bigger. “My beautiful, wonderful Idina. Well, that song kind of became our song, you know? It became my song to her, about her. And you know me, Savannah, lyrics are so important to me. I love a good melody too, of course, but these words, they were just so perfect, you know?”

 

Kristin pauses, looking for the right words, her eyes starting to glisten.

 

“And I— there have never been words that resonated with me stronger than the ones in this song did, and it was such an intimate, beautiful, personal moment between the two of us—one we don’t share a lot with the public; we like to keep things between us, you know? But there, that night she was right there sitting next to my mom and my dad and my voice teacher. It was really special. And it didn’t matter that we were in a theatre full of hundreds of people. She always— and she’ll hate me for this, sorry Dee,” she interrupts herself, laughing. “But it felt like it was just the two of us. Like no one else was there.”

 

“And she comes up and sings with you as well.”

 

“That she does. We do ‘Something Good,’ from _The Sound of Music_ , and I have never, not once, gotten through rehearsals without bawling uncontrollably. It’s so embarrassing! She keeps making fun of me for it but by the end she’ll be crying so much too. It’s just a cryfest. Ninety percent of this whole concert is just me crying about everything.”

 

“I'm sure it'll be magnificent to watch—the two of you, I mean, your voices are just incredible."

 

"And hers especially," Kristin says, a dreamy look on her face. 

 

—

  

**2003\. New York, New York.**

 

“I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN _SOUND OF MUSIC_.”

  

“Calm down.”

 

“I will not! Idina, you need to watch _The Sound of Music_. How have you not seen _The Sound of Music_? You’re lying to me, aren’t you.”

 

“I just... never got around to watching it?”

  

“HOW!” Kristin stalks off the couch before Idina can even reply and heads straight to her TV, dramatically flinging open the door of her VHS cabinet. “It’s time for your education, missy.”

  

“So we’re not having dinner out?”

  

Kristin turns to her, holding up the tape, the box worn out and faded. She smiles widely. “Nope.”

 

—

 

**2014\. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma**

  

 _For here you are, standing there, loving me_  
_Whether or not you should_  
_So somewhere in my youth or childhood_  
_I must’ve done something good_

 

During the interlude, Kristin takes Idina’s hand and faces the audience. “The path Idina and I have taken to get to where we are today was not a very easy one. It was exhausting and confusing and there were a lot of hearts broken—mine and hers included—but if I had to do it all over again, if it meant I would end up back here, on this stage, with her, I would. I always, always will.” 

 

She turns to Idina again, and Idina wipes the tears cascading down Kristin’s cheeks with her thumb. When Idina starts to sing, Kristin tightens her hold on her waist, her eyes never leaving Idina’s face. Kristin joins her, but her voice breaks, her smile falters, and she descends into tears. But Idina—as she always had and as she always will—sings louder and goes on, because somebody has to.

 

 _Something good_.

 

The number ends to rapturous applause, and Kristin buries her face in the crook of Idina’s neck, stays there for what feels like forever. When she pulls apart for air, she cups Idina’s face into her hands and kisses her in front of everyone, because finally, she can.


	3. witchy woman

**2004\. New York, New York.**

 

  
“I’m leaving the show.”

 

  
Idina freezes, her eyes catching Kristin’s through her vanity mirror. Kristin’s at the doorway, resplendent in Glinda’s glittery blue bubble dress. In some universe, this—Kristin announcing somber news with a somber look on her face, and literally _sparkling_ —must look comical.

 

  
“Come in, Kristin.”

 

  
“I can’t. I just wanted to tell you,” is all Kristin offers, and then she’s turning on her heel. “Five minutes to places,” the stage manager calls. “Five minutes.”

 

  
“Is this because of who they’re going to campaign for when Tony season starts?” Idina asks—and of course, Kristin knew _none_ of that, so she’s _seething_.

 

  
Kristin doesn’t remember much of that show, except that her chemistry with Idina’s husband is nonexistent, her wig is a mess, and Joe keeps yelling at her to get it the _fuck_ together.

 

  
Her anger for Joe, for _Wicked_ , and for the producers fuel _What Is This Feeling?_ and during intermission Idina visits her to calm her down.

 

  
Kristin is pissed off, but Idina—despite taking all the hits that night—manages to soften her.

 

  
Later, before the final note of _For Good_ even begins to play, Kristin goes in for the kill.

 

  
She grabs Idina by the waist and falls into her chest, settling into it. Idina’s fingers, like clockwork, find their spot on Kristin’s shoulder.

 

—

 

  
**2005\. Los Angeles, California.**

 

  
They don’t last; of course they don’t. Idina’s got Taye and Kristin’s got her career—and for one blessed moment they both thought they could actually do this, that they could actually make it, and of course, of course, of course: they don’t.

 

  
They’re asked to do _Wicked_ again—this time across the ocean. Kristin says no because Idina says yes.

 

  
Kristin falls in love with someone new. He’s Jewish, he’s got pretty words, and sometimes, he treats her right. She does his show, releases new music, and makes a movie with big Hollywood stars.

 

  
Sometimes she falls asleep at night thinking she’s content, thinking this is where she’s always wanted to be. But often she wakes up and there’s a gaping feeling in her stomach, and she knows she could do better than this.

 

  
One day on _Bewitched_ , Nora asks her if she could sing.

 

  
She plasters a smile on her face the day she records _Witchy Woman_ , and it takes her a couple of tries before Ron and Nora are satisfied with what they have. When they’re done, she excuses herself to disappear into her trailer and she cries.

 

  
Quietly, and barely, and then never again.

 

  
She emerges onto set with a fresh face of makeup and not a trace of tears. She could keep doing this forever if she has to, she thinks.

 

—

 

  
**2014\. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.**

 

  
“I just love romantic comedies, don’t y’all?” she begins her next spiel, in her first costume change of the night. She dons a giant, poofy blue dress, somewhat reminiscent of the bubble dress, but a deeper shade, and more tulle than glitter.

 

  
She walks to the center of the stage and puts the microphone back onto its stand. “In my career, I’ve been privileged to work with some of the best writers and directors. One of them is someone I’ll always love, and always miss: my dear Nora Ephron,” she says, her eyes glistening. The audience sighs with her.

 

  
“This is a song that I sang during one of the toughest points in my life. A lot of people are surprised when they see a side of me that isn’t always happy or perky,” she says, chuckling softly. In most concerts, this is where she does a self-deprecating bit. But tonight, she foregoes such frivolity.

 

  
“At one of the lowest points in my life, I found the strength to hold on because of a woman I’d met in a show about magic and witches. I’ve sung to her and with her several times tonight, and I’m sorry, you guys, but I will never get tired of this!”

 

  
Her guests roars in applause, and the electric guitar begins.

 

  
_Aaaah… Aaaah…_  
_Raven hair, and ruby lips,_  
_Sparks fly from her fingertips._  
_Echoed voices in the night,_  
_She’s a restless spirit on an endless flight._

**Author's Note:**

> obviously, five songs do not make a setlist, but let's just pretend these five songs take the place of some of kristin's sadder selections— _my coloring book_ , for one—and then she alternates these five numbers throughout the run of her concert, as she is known to do.
> 
> the summary is in reference to _gorgeous_ by idina menzel.
> 
> this is for sara.


End file.
